Aussie company turns stones into tree-free waterproof paper

16 October 2019 - 05:29 By Unathi Nkanjeni
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Two Australian entrepreneurs are making paper out of recycled stones.
Two Australian entrepreneurs are making paper out of recycled stones.
Image: Screenshot/Karst Stone Paper

Two Australian entrepreneurs are saving trees by making paper out of stones.

Kevin Garcia and Jon Tse, of Karst Stone Paper, are producing notebooks made with 80%-90% crushed stone and 10% non-toxic resin, which is used to bind the stone.

Because they are made of stone, the notebooks are waterproof, tear-resistant and not subject to bleed-through, said CNN.

Garcia explained how it's made: “If you look at the whole process of how paper is traditionally made, it involves chopping trees, adding chemicals and bleach to make pulp, using lots of water and then squeezing, drying and flattening it into sheets of paper.

“It's labour intensive and contributes to high carbon-emission deforestation,” he said.

According to the Karst Stone Paper website, one ton of traditional wood-pulp paper requires about 18 tall trees and 2,770 litres of water.

Added to that, when paper is recycled, additional virgin fibres are required, making paper-recycling an unsustainable long-term solution.

“Stone paper is brighter, smoother, and more environmentally responsible than regular paper. No trees, no water, no bleach, no acids and no toxic chemicals are used to make stone paper.

“Regular pulp paper requires 18 large trees and an immense amount of energy to produce. Recycling regular pulp paper is also limited to a number of cycles,” said the website.

The innovative notebooks, which retail for between $26.95 and $29.95 (R399-R 444), and pocket journals, for $11.95 (R177), are available in different colours, sizes A5 and A6, and come with lined or blank pages.

There are plans to expand the product line.

Watch the video below:


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